Your Helmet Choice and Why?

[O-ring]

I trashed all my old UKs, those C cell lights are just too heavy out of the water

I pulled the bezel off one of them to get an old Scout clone working, but other than that they sit in my curiosity box along with my old primary light. Now THAT was heavy out of water.

 

[PfcAJ]

Don’t swim into the walls and ceiling and you won’t need a helmet.

 

[Johanan]

Helmets are an unnecessary evil. ... Helmets pose all sorts of issue for gas sharing that are underappreciated.

What issues? I've yet to encounter one. So far I have observed just two minor issues. 1) A helmet makes swapping a mask more complicated; 2) Even though a helmet is a very convenient place for backup lights and a GoPro camera, my buddy in front of me didn't like how bubbles interfered with the helmet light and made it kinda flicker. Ok, but when you bang your head into a rock, it feels so much nicer with a helmet on.

Don’t swim into the walls and ceiling and you won’t need a helmet.

Sh*t happens.

 

[tursiops]

Used Petzl from eBay. Stripped put the foam. Drilled holes where needed. it has saved my forehead a couple of times, and is handy for a camera, spare light, and a working light. Be sure the working light has an easy on-off, and is not a twist. Solve the hose donate problem by NOT wrapping a hose around your neck....unnecessary if you are using a left feed reg on the left side. Not for backmount, very nice for sidemount.

 

[rjack321]

What issues? I've yet to encounter one. So far I have observed just two minor issues. 1) A helmet makes swapping a mask more complicated; 2) Even though a helmet is a very convenient place for backup lights and a GoPro camera, my buddy in front of me didn't like how bubbles interfered with the helmet light and made it kinda flicker. Ok, but when you bang your head into a rock, it feels so much nicer with a helmet on.

Broken mask strap and putting on a backup mask is one complication.
Actually deploying a long hose
Giving proper light signals
Not blinding your buddy with your light
Looking at your buddy while illuminating your hand signals

Helmets form a ton of really terrible habits and if you are smacking you head that hard (so hard a hood doesn't solve) while swimming you need to slow down and increase your awareness not add a helmet. If you are banging your head scootering you shouldn't be scootering in a cave at all.

 

[Jack Hammer]

Helmets are great for finishing the sidemount look while swimming around the local quarry. Scuffing it up is probably a good idea though. Nobody wants to look like they spent too much time polishing their helmet.

 

[ScubaWithTurk]

I appreciate the comments as to why I should not get one now or at all. Not really what I asked but hey, this is Scubaboard and none of us are diving right now.

As for my diving, I dive almost exclusively in sidemount. I also have had my head cut twice while diving wrecks. It does not take much to cut a bald dome. I also have some time to play around with mounting backup lights or even video lights for those days when I am filming wreck dives. I understand that I will not need it in caves for a long time to come but also knew this was the best place to ask the question.

I am curious why some chose the Petzl over the Light Monkey.

 

[rddvet]

I appreciate the comments as to why I should not get one now or at all. Not really what I asked but hey, this is Scubaboard and none of us are diving right now.

As for my diving, I dive almost exclusively in sidemount. I also have had my head cut twice while diving wrecks. It does not take much to cut a bald dome. I also have some time to play around with mounting backup lights or even video lights for those days when I am filming wreck dives. I understand that I will not need it in caves for a long time to come but also knew this was the best place to ask the question.

I am curious why some chose the Petzl over the Light Monkey.

to me the light monkey is a little cheap, flimsy, and makes your head look like a penis. The build quality on the pelzels are much better

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Not blinding your buddy with your light

I was quite annoyed by a dive buddy insisting on wearing his helmet in open water at 3 Tree. I got a nice blast where I had to pause with my eyes closed to recover.

 

[ScubaWithTurk]

to me the light monkey is a little cheap, flimsy, and makes your head look like a penis. The build quality on the pelzels are much better

Best comment I have read on here it quite some time. My head is already a little egg shaped. I certainly don't need it to look like a penis.